Emma's First Steps
by Fitzpatrick41
Summary: Another Post 2x03 fic! Snow White said that she imagined teaching Emma to walk in the nursery. My take on how that would have gone!


Snow closes the door to the bathing room after giving her baby girl a bath and readjusts a one year old Emma in her arms on her hip. She smiles at her beautiful blonde beauty with gorgeous sparkling green eyes in her arms. Oh this little girl has simply captured her heart utterly and completely.

"There we go, all clean." Snow says holding a now dressed freshly bathed Emma in her pajamas as they head down the corridor. Emma lets out a yawn and wipes at her face with her little hand, a habit she has when she is tired. Snow sees this and nuzzles her nose against the one year old's cheek. "Are you sleepy?"

"No!" Emma shouts before letting out another yawn.

"Right." Snow says smiling as she smoothes Emma's still damp hair. They then walk into the nursery where Emma immediately sees her papa slide under her crib for some reason.

"PAPA!" Emma cheers.

Snow smiles at her daughter giggling. "It is Papa!"

"How was the bath?" James asks as he maneuvers from under the crib to sit up.

"Messy." Snow laughs as she looks down at the many water spots on her dress from Emma splashing around in the water. She walks over and sees the James is still messing with Emma's crib. "James you still haven't finished."

"I can do it." James insists as he looks over at Emma who lets out a tiny cough.

"Are you sure you don't want me to send for the dwarves." Snow suggests as she rubs circles on Emma's back. "They were the ones to put the crib together in the first place."

James shakes his head and points a finger at Snow. "My darling wife, I can fix my daughter's crib."

'"Are you sure?" Snow asks not truly believing it as she keeps rubbing Emma's back.

"I can do it." James says as he lies back down and scoots back underneath the crib.

Snow lets out a long breath knowing her husband is in over his head. "Charming please let me send for Grumpy."

"Gumpy!" Emma cheers at the sound of her friend's name.

Snow smiles at Emma before looking at her husband's lower body his upper body not visible from under the crib. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"I'm not going to hurt myself I just need to figure out how to reattach this." James says a bit unsure as he scoots back from under the crib to grab a new board, putting aside the broken board that needed to be replaced.

"Honey might I remind you that our only child sleeps in this crib and I really don't want it to collapse while she's sleeping." Snow says to her husband before turning to Emma and giving her a big smile. "Right Emma!"

"Ya!" Emma cheers excited over Snow's big smile.

"I would never put Emma at risk Snow, I can fix it. I've slayed dragons, Taken on demented mermaids, and I have defeated your crazy step-mother…I can fix a baby crib." James says as he slides back under the crib to fix it.

"Okay." Snow breathes as she hears banging and James messing with something under the crib.

"Owe." James says from under the crib.

Snow leans down to try to get a better look, not liking the sound of all the banging. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" James calls out so his wife can hear him.

"Charming you have many skills some of which you charmingly just listed off but I don't think carpentry is one of them." Snow says.

But James doesn't listen and bangs on the boards a few more times. "Owe, damn it."

Snow looks at her daughter who she cans see is listening intently. "Um, Baby who's repeating everything James."

"I mean dog spit." James corrects himself as he goes back to the crib.

"There we go." Snow breathes as shakes her head.

"Owe." James mumbles from under the crib.

"Charming." Snow says.

"Owe." James says again causing another bang from under the sink.

Snow shakes her head and starts to bounce a fussy Emma up and down in her arms. "I'm sure hearing a lot of owes from somebody who isn't going to get hurt."

"Hon I'm fine…owe!" James shrieks under his breath below the crib.

Snow chuckles under her breath before turning her attention to Emma. "Well it looks like we can't go nighty-night yet Emma, what should we do?"

"Mama!" Emma cheers before she takes her little hand and wipes at her face tiredly.

"Yes, I'm Mama." Snow laughs as she presses a sweet kiss on Emma's forehead before smiling getting a great idea. "I know! Should we try walking?"

"Oh boy." James says as he briefly gets out from under the crib to grab another nail before going back under. Snow has been trying to teach Emma to walk for months and has had no luck.

"Oh shush." Snow says to James before walking over to the open area in the nursery by the rocking chair and her toy chest.

"Okay Emma." Snow says as she sets Emma down on the ground holding her up in a standing position. She holds her for a second making sure she is able to stand on her own before taking a few steps back. "Here we go."

"Mama." Emma says slightly annoyed that her mother is no longer holding her.

"Come on, Emma, you can do it!" Snow says as she gently claps her hands together in front of her before holding her arms out hoping her daughter would walk over for a hug. "Walk to Mama."

Emma looks down at her feet for a few seconds before trying to take a step. She tries to take a step but becomes unbalanced with her tiny legs giving out, and her plump bottom hitting the floor quickly. Startled and scared at the fall Emma's eyes begin to pool with tears and her bottom lip starts to tremble as she looks up at her Mama.

"Mama." Emma cries.

"Oh baby, you're okay Emma." Snow coos with a slight laugh as she goes over and picks up the crying the girl. Standing once again holding her tight as Emma's cries subside. "That's my girl."

James hearing the crying slides back out from under the crib and looks at his wife and daughter concerned. "Is she okay?"

Snow nods her head and gently wipes at the drying tears on little Emma's face. "Yeah just a little spooked, I think."

"Good." James says as he bends down to crawl under but bangs his head on the crib as he goes down. "Owe."

"We've been working on walking for a month now, I can't figure out the problem." Snow says stumped as she places a kiss on top of Emma's head before looking down at her little chubby legs. "Maybe something is wrong with her cute little legs."

"Snow." James breathes as he sits back up knowing where is wife is going with this.

"What if something is wrong with her legs!" Snow exclaims going into a panic.

"Nothing is wrong with her legs." James says trying to bite his lip from laughing at his wife's antics.

"Then what's the problem?" Sow asks her husband before turning back to face Emma. "Huh? My baby girl."

"I can tell you what the problem is." James mumbles under his breath.

"What's that Charming?" Snow asks hearing James mumble something under his breath.

"Our little princess is as stubborn as her mother." James says realizing he's been caught and might as well fess up. "She'll walk when she wants to."

"I am not stubborn." Snow argues back offended.

"Do you remember when we met?" James asks as he runs his hand through his hair before he rests his arms on his knees brining them up to his stomach. "There was no way you were going to help me get my jewels back."

"I helped you." Snow states.

James laughs and tilts his head grinning at his wife. "Because I blackmailed you dear."

"Oh yeah….." Snow laughs looking up at the ceiling reminiscing before tilting her own head looking at James. "That wasn't a very romantic first meeting, was it?"

"On the contrary I fell in love instantly." James says smiling at his wife.

"Yeah." Snow says smiling back.

James nods his head and smiles thinking back on how they met. "My love only intensified when you stubbornly tried on the ring I was supposed to give Abigail."

"Easy Charming, this is my ring." Snow says looking down at her wedding ring before putting her hand back on Emma to help support her in her arms.

"I know, I know." James laughs before holding his hands up in surrender. "What I am saying is that Emma will walk when she wants to, probably when no one is looking."

"Well that will never happen because I can't take my eyes off of this cute little Angel." Snow says in her cute little baby voice before placing a big kiss on Emma's cheek causing the little girl to giggle. "Right! Are you Mama's little Angel?"

"Mama!" Emma shrieks out still giggling.

"What's your name?" Snow asks.

"Gumpy!" Emma shouts excitedly.

"No! Your name isn't Grumpy." Snow says to a giggling Emma. "Your name is…."

"Em!" Emma corrects herself.

"That's right! Emma!" Snow cheers to her baby girl.

"Emma!" Emma repeats again.

"There." James says as he finishes the job sliding from under the crib and standing up.

"You fixed it?" Snow asks looking over to her husband.

James nods his head and shakes the crib a couple times to make sure it doesn't fall apart. "I think so."

"You think so." Snow says not convinced as she sets Emma down to go to the crib to get a better look. Once she sets Emma down the baby starts to whimper a little not liking being set down by her Mama at all. "You're okay Emma."

"I am sure that I fixed it." James corrects himself seeing the look on his wife.

Snow takes one more look at Emma before heading over to James where she nods her head not really believing her husband and points at the crib. "Okay, get in."

"What?" James laughs.

"We are not putting our daughter in that possible death trap without testing it first." Snow says adamantly.

"Okay…." James chuckles amused as he looks around the nursery and sees the rocking horse Gepetto made for Emma. He reaches for it and grabs it placing it in the crib. "Here."

Snow examines the crib with the heavy rocking horse in it and shakes the crib a bit to make sure it doesn't break or anything.

"Satisfied?" James asks his wife.

"Yes, I suppose I am." Snow says shrugging her shoulders before being able to feel James starring at her clearing waiting for some sort of declaration. "Quit looking at me."

"Come on Snow White, you can say it." James teases.

Snow bites her lips not amused at her charming husband who is simply gitty over being right.

"I was right and you were….you were…." James drawls waiting for Snow to jump in.

"The best thing that ever happened to you." Snow says with a smirk as she wraps her arms around her husband's neck.

"See….stubborn." James says amused as a giggling Snow leans in for a kiss.

Meanwhile by the rocking chair and toy chest Emma is somewhat scowling at her parents not happy that they have seems to have forgotten about her. She places her hands on the ground and pushes herself up to stand on her feet before grabbing the toy chest to help her stand up straight. Once she is standing she looks at her parents and tentatively takes a first step...and then another.

James and Snow finish their kiss and pull away smiling; James places a quick kiss on the side of Snow's head and notices Emma walking towards them slowly. "Emma!"

Snow looks over a bit worried that something has happened and sees Emma walking towards them. "Oh my God."

"She's doing it, she's doing it." James says with the hugest smile on his face as he and Snow bend down kneeling on the ground waiting for Emma. "Come on Em! You can do it!"

"Come on Baby, walk to Mama and Papa!" Snow cheers on Emma.

Emma smiles at her parents but loses her balance and falls down. "Oooh."

"You're okay Baby, come to Mama and Papa!" Snow says urging Emma to get back up and try again.

Emma with a look of baby determination pushes herself back up and starts to tottle towards her parents once again where she falls into Snow's waiting arms.

"You did it!" James cheers as he gently rubs the back of Emma's head.

Emma leans back and smiles her papa with a proud smile on her face. "Did it!"

"You did it!" James laughs repeating himself.

"She walked, she walked." Snow says quietly as Emma settles in her arms getting tired from all the excitement. Snow smiles and gently places a kiss on top of Emma's head before holding her tightly in her arms. "Oh my baby girl."

"Yeah Emma!" James says still smiling.

Snow rocks her back and forth in her arms and sits comfortably on the ground before laughing mostly to herself. "She's going to be running around this castle before we know it."

"She is, isn't she?" James realizes with a blank look on his face.

"James." Snow says seeing the look on her husband's face.

"She's mobile now." James says as he stands up getting ready to leave.

Snow reaches for James' hand keeping him from leaving. "Honey where are you going?"

"I have to baby proof the castle; she could get into anything now." James rambles on.

"The whole castle?" Snow asks amused.

"Yes." James says nodding his head confidently.

"No." Snow says.

"No what?" James asks confused.

"Right now you are going to enjoy this milestone moment with your wife and daughter." Snow says.

James looks at Snow but then the thoughts take over his head. "But she'll be running around the castle before we know it."

"Not tonight she won't be." Snow laughs quietly looking down at an already sleeping Emma in her arms before looking up at her husband. "We'll worry about baby proofing tomorrow."

James looks down at the two most important people in his life and immediately gives up sitting next to Snow. "Fine."

"Good." Snow says pleased that she has won…again.

James chuckles quietly before wrapping his wife and daughter up in his arms kissing the top of Snow's head. "Stubborn…what did I tell you."

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING!**


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